Hot pepper jam

Had some pepper jelly a few weeks ago and it left me craving more. I was never (or at least I thought I was never) a fan of the stuff. But after applying a smear of cream cheese to a cracker and topping it with the jelly that one bite left me hooked and I went home in search of how how I could get/make more! The result was better than the first taste I had a few weeks ago! 

1 jar of diced pickled jalapeño  peppers drained

1 diced bell pepper

6 red picked sweet cherry peppers

3 sweet red snacking peppers

1 T butter

1 C apple cider vinegar 

2 C cranberry juice

1 box powder pectin

6 C sugar

1 tsp cayenne pepper

In a large pot place all the peppers, butter, cranberry juice and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid in the pot by1/2. As it reduces I used an emersion blender to further chop the peppers. Once reduced add the sugar and let come to a boil again. Now this mixture needs to boil a few minutes and the best way to tell you are reaching jelly stage is to freeze a plate and drip some jam mixture on the plate and if it wrinkles when you scrape your finger across it....kinda gummy consistency then your good! Add in the box of pectin and stir till it dissolves. Then because it wasn't quite the heat I wanted I added the cayenne pepper! You can add as much as you like. I stopped at one full tsp. 

 Now you jar it up just like you would regularly jar jam. I water bath processed mine for 10 minutes and then removed to cool. 

This batch made 7 pints of pepper jelly.

Now the big question is do I want to share?

Grilled Chicken Salad

It's slipping into summer time and and there's nothing better than a good chicken salad but let's go and make that 10x better by making it a grilled chicken salad!

2 leftover large chicken breast
1 rib of celery diced
1tbs of fresh parsley
1/4 C or little less of chopped green onion
1/2 T Salt
1/2 T pepper
1/3 C chopped pecans
1/2 c sliced in halved red seedless grapes
1/4 C mayo
1/3 C sour cream

Shred chicken in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients and stir well then let sit overnight in the fridge to let the favors merry together.
Serve on a sandwich or with crackers. You may want to double this recipe because the first batch will go so quickly you will need more!

Greek pasta salad

I feel somewhere deep inside my heritage there has to be some Greek roots. My love for all thing Greek comes through in this pasta salad I mixed up tonight. I rarely make pasta salad....not sure why that is because this turned out so fresh a wonderful that I could eat this all summer long!

1lb spiral shaped pasta

1 lemon ( zest it and juice it and set aside)

1 T fresh oregano chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme
2 green onions chopped

1 T fresh parsley chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

1/3 cup chopped small sundried tomato( not in oil)

1/2 red onion diced small

1 can black olives

1 can chick peas

3oz feta cheese crumbled

4 oz mozzarella cut into mini cubes

2 oz powder Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup of newmans Parmesan and roasted garlic dressing 

4 T olive oil

Salt and pepper

Boil pasta in salted water. While pasta boils mix: olive oil, with chopped herbs, green onion, lemon juice, lemon
zest,newmans salad dressing, and garlic in a bowl and set aside.

Drain pasta.

In one large bowl mix pasta, cheeses, chickpeas, black olives, onions, salt and pepper, and sundried tomato. Drizzle the dressing and herbs over the mixture and toss to coat.
Serve or refrigerate for more intense flavor!